


Recalling & Reminiscing

by wrotemywayout



Series: Modern College Newsies AU [4]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Memories, spot is a softie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 12:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14057088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrotemywayout/pseuds/wrotemywayout
Summary: Contrary to popular belief, Spot Conlon is a total softie.On the morning of Spot & Race’s four year anniversary Spot remembers some of the moments that got them where they are.





	Recalling & Reminiscing

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This takes place in the same universe in the rest of the series, but Jack and Kath are together in this. They’re together in memories because in this they started dating in high school and mutually broke up when they went to different schools. Just in case there was any confusion:)
> 
>  
> 
> Also, this is unedited. Let’s just hope it all makes sense

Some might tell Race and Spot that codependency is unhealthy, but it’s gotten them this far. 

Race and Spot met during their freshman year of high school and wasted no time in starting their relationship. They’d grown together, developed together, become the people that they are today together. So, it makes sense that they don’t truly know how to live without each other. 

Now, the rumor is that Race cares about Spot more than Spot does Race. That Spot is too closed off and emotionless to have a strong relationship. But anyone who knows them knows that that’s bullshit. Anyone who knows them has seen the way Spot looks as Race like he’s the only person in a crowded room, seen the way Spot wears strictly Race’s hoodies when Race is away for a baseball game across state. Everyone who knows them knows that they’re the most disgustingly adorable couple ever. 

And, as of today, they’ve been disgustingly adorable for four years. Race hasn’t woken up yet, leaving Spot immobile, unable to move from his position as his boyfriend’s pillow. Spot's hand found its way to Race’s hair and his thoughts began to drift to seemingly irrelevant moments within their relationship, but moments that mean the world to him. 

The first memory Spot’s mind drifted too was from their junior year of high school. Race was an incredibly well-rounded student. Honors grades, an athlete, volunteer hours, and an active member of student government. Race had been accepted to be a representative at a student government conference for a week. Spot was so proud that Race was accepted and he knew that it was a wonderful opportunity for Race but, man did he miss his boyfriend. So, when Thursday night came and Race had a formal banquet to attend, Spot nearly imploded. 

He had been in his room doing homework when his phone buzzed, and Spot checked it immediately, grateful for any distraction. When he saw that he had received a Snapchat from Race, the distraction was made all the better. 

Race had taken the photo in his hotel room’s bathroom mirror, wearing a pale mint green button up shirt, slim fitting black dress pants, and a black bow tie. His sleeves were rolled up on his forearms and it looked like he made some attempt to tame his curls. All in all, Race looked fine as hell. 

Spot was sure he couldn’t handle this. Couldn’t handle having a boyfriend that damn attractive, there was no way. He had already been with Race for two years and he still hasn’t quite gotten over the fact that he was dating the cutest boy in the world. And, honestly, he hoped he never would. 

After taking a screenshot, Spot sent his reply; a photo of him with his mouth open wide in shock with the caption “damn, t. nobody told me i was dating a goddamn model.” 

Race’s reply came after a few minutes. A selfie of him and Katherine, Katherine looking beautifully done up with her makeup applied perfectly and an elegant dress. The caption read “gotta head down to the banquet. talk to you after love you.” 

“take lots of photos!!!” Spot replied, not ready to be done with seeing his boyfriend in his formalwear. Spot locked his phone and thought about how it was possible to have such a big crush of Race, despite the fact that they’re currently together. 

The next photo came about an hour later. It was captionless, simply a photo of Race smirking at the camera. He had put his glasses on, round tortoiseshell frames that Spot wished he’d wear more often. 

Spot responded with a scolding look, “stop doing that with your face,” he wrote. 

Race looked confused in his reply, “what and i doing with my face??” 

“you’re making it look all pretty. not fair someone else is going to snatch you up.” Spot wrote, despite having no fears of Race being unfaithful. 

The photo Race sent back was gorgeous, he was obviously laughing, a wide smile spread across his face with his tongue poking out from in between his teeth. The caption read “this face is all yours, babe. dont gotta stress a thing.” 

And Spot smiled because he knew it was true. 

Movement from his current Race knocked him out of his memory of past Race. Spot tightened his arm around Race’s shoulders and wondered how he got so lucky. 

 

The next memory his mind fell on was when he and Race went to the mall with Jack and Katherine after the last day of their junior year of high school. Katherine had actual shopping she wanted to do, so Jack was taken along with her and Spot and Race were left to wander around aimlessly. Eventually Race got tired and his phone was on low battery, so Spot led him to one of the pleather couches at one of the “charging stations” in the mall. 

“Take a seat and gimme your phone.” Spot stuck one hand out to Race while the other rummaged around his backpack. Once he had Race’s phone and his charger, he plugged the phone and and sat next to Race. 

“How much sleep have you gotten recently?” Spot asked, noticing the way Race was nearly about to collapse as they walked. 

“Finals week and sleep don’t occur at the same time, Spot.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Will you at least come back to my place with me and take a nap after this?” asked Spot. 

“I feel like this is when I’m supposed to make some kinda joke about having better things to do when I get into bed with you but I could really use a nap.” Race leaned back into the couch, careful to leave a few inches between him and Spot. 

Normally, Race is a big advocate for PDA, constantly clinging into Spot whenever possible. But that’s not always the case. Race grew up with a homophobic father and even though his mom and his sisters got away from him, sometimes Race couldn’t help but remember his words. 

“You okay, Tony? Anything you wanna talk about?” 

Race shook his head. It looked like he was about to say something when Jack and Katherine arrived and sat on the couch opposite them. 

“Hey, are you guys planning on staying here? We have one more store to hit and it’d be great if we could leave our bags with you,” Jack asked. 

“Yeah that’s fine. Let us know when you’re ready,” Spot answered. 

Jack and Katherine left their bags and walked off, Jack sliding his arm around Katherine’s waist as Katherine leaned into him. 

“It’s that,” Race said. 

“It’s what, babe?” 

“That. Jack and Kath. They’re allowed to be all cute and shit with no guilt. They can touch each other without having a whole internal debate and mini panic attack first,” Race explained. 

This confirmed Spot’s suspicions what Race’s behavior was stemming from his father, 

“It’s okay, Race. Everyone close to you is supportive. And even in public, New York isn’t exactly the most homophobic place on earth.” 

“Yeah, I know that. It’s like I know that my dad was an asshole and he was wrong about literally everything but it’s like before he left he made sure that I would always be branded with the shit he said. Like most of the time I’m fine but sometimes it’s just so-” Race hesitated before turning to Spot. 

“Listen, I love you a lot and I love touching you and holding your hand and whatever but sometimes it feels like I get burned whenever I touch you. And then I feel guilty because you didn’t do anything and it’s hard, Spot. I’m fucking sick of it.” 

Spot knew about Race’s father and the effect he had on Race but this is the most he’s heard about it in years. 

“I wish I could help you, let me know if there’s anything I can do.” Spot wanted nothing more than to reach out and hug Race but he knew that that wasn’t the best idea at the moment. 

“No, Spot you already do everything. Having such a great boyfriend who cares about me is like the biggest ‘fuck you’ I can give my dad. I just sometimes wish we could be heteros like Jack and Kath.” 

“They’re both bi, Race,” Spot pointed out. 

“You know that wasn’t the point.” Race began to smile and Spot could tell that his mood was improving after talking so he reached out to grab Race’s hand. 

“They’re lucky.” Race held Spot’s hand tighter. 

“They have it easier, yeah. But right now your hand is in mine and I feel like the luckiest guy to ever walk the earth. They ain’t the lucky ones, we are.” 

“I’m gonna tell everyone how soft you are.” Race smiled and moved closer to Spot. 

“Go ahead, you know they won’t believe you.” 

And Race knew they wouldn’t, but that didn’t matter. He knew how much Spot cared, and that’s what made all the difference. 

That memory was always bittersweet for Spot. He hated seeing his boyfriend so upset but he was thankful that Race trusted him enough to talk about it. He was glad that Race was getting better and was overcoming his past to benefit his present. 

Spot was happy that he and Race started dating in high school because all this awkward and cringey teenage memories aren’t as prominent as his memories with Race. 

Like in the spring of senior year when he spilled chemicals in the science lab and the school had to be evacuated; Spot doesn’t focus on the embarrassment of messing up so badly when instead he can remember going to get ice cream with Race when sixth period had be be canceled. 

One of Spot’s favorite parts of dating in high school was dating a jock. Race is still an athlete now but they went to a small high school where Race was widely known and recognized as a jock and grade-A hottie. Spot loved seeing all the underclassmen girls swoon over the boy he got to call his. 

It was important to Spot to be supportive of Race’s sports, coming to all his games and not getting upset if Race can’t come over because he has a workout. So, when Race became baseball captain in their senior year, Spot was there every step of the way. 

Which is where Spot’s next memory takes place; A scout from NYU was coming to Race’s next baseball game to watch him play and possibly offer him a scholarship. This was a big deal for Race and he would spend hours at the field after his practices in a batting cage or inside the school lifting weights in the student athlete’s gym. Spot was a little bit concerned about just how much time Race spent there and went along with him to keep him company and make sure he was taking care of himself.

It was around four o’clock and the sun was not yet beginning to set. Race was loading balls into a pitching machine so he could practice his batting while Spot sat outside the batting cage, eating sunflower seeds and pretending to do stats homework, he was not-so-subtly staring. Race’s short sleeve shirt allowed Spot to see the way his triceps flexed as he swung his bat and his Adidas sweatpants hung nicely on his hips. You couldn’t blame him for looking. 

“Hey, Racer,” Spot yelled to Race as he picked up his bat. Race turned to Spot. “Wear a helmet, will ya?” 

Race rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. “I’ve done this a thousand times. I don’t need a helmet.” 

“Okay, it’s up to you.” Spot looked back to his homework. “You won’t be any good to NYU when you’re out with a concussion, that’s all,” he added. 

Race groaned but slid a batting helmet onto his head, Spot smiled because he knew he won. 

Soon all that could be heard was the crack of a ball hitting a metal bat. Spot loved the simplicity of the moment, spending time with his boyfriend without talking, just the both of them being glad they have the other there. Loved seeing the satisfaction Race has when he hits the ball. When the first round of balls ran out Race took a break, sitting against the fencing of the cage. He took his phone out of his bag and everything fell silent. 

Spot couldn’t help but admire Race, his cheeks slightly flushed from the workout and his messy hair from taking his helmet off. He was the perfect mixture of cute and hot in that moment and Spot couldn’t get enough. 

“Hey, Spot,” Race called out, breaking the silence. 

“What’s up?”

“I’m gonna need you to stop looking at me like that, it’s making me weak.” Race stood up and grabbed his bat, putting it into his bag. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Spot said, knowing exactly what he was talking about. 

“Oh, so you’re meaning to tell me that you aren’t looking at me as is I hung all the stars in the sky while simultaneously eyeing me as if I’m your next meal?” Race gathered his things and stepped out of the cage, toward Spot. 

“I think you’re imagining things.” Spot joined Race and the pair started walking to the parking lot. The walk to the car continued in silence, their hands joined and the setting sun on their backs. 

“Wanna go to a movie?” Spot asked as they sat down in his car. 

“We could, or we could go back to yours and I could take a shower and we could watch Netflix,” Race offered. 

“I like the way you think, Higgins.” Spot pulled out of the parking lot and started the drive to his house. 

Now, why is this memory so significant to Spot? Easy, this was the day Spot realized he could spend the rest of his life with Race. 

Being with Race was easy. He enjoyed his time with him even if they aren’t talking, he never got sick of seeing him. It was easy to talk to him, easy to love him. Hell, Race basically lived at his house already and Spot still couldn’t wait to move in with him and make a home of their own. 

As he drove him that day Spot’s heart was basically swelling with love for his boyfriend and he never wanted that feeling to end. 

That was only six months ago, but his time with Race felt like a lifetime. He looked down at the boy sleeping on his chest and couldn’t help but admire him. He was half tempted to wake him up so he could kiss the shit out of him, but the thought of disrupting him when he looked so peaceful seemed downright blasphemous. 

Thankfully, just moments late Race began to stir. 

“Morning, Racer. Happy anniversary,” Spot said once Race opened his eyes. Spot reached down and brushed Race’s curls out of his eyes. 

Race hummed in response, wrapping his arms tighter around Spot’s torso. 

Spot knew that he was lucky, but know he realized he had everything he could ever need, right there with him.


End file.
